All of the ingredients for the filling (sugar, flour, cream cheese, vanilla and eggs) are combined in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. But if you don’t mind getting your mix on you can totally cream everything by hand like I did.

In a food processor or by hand, combine sugar, flour, cream cheese and vanilla; blend until smooth. Add eggs and continue blending just until incorporated. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Spoon crumbs into papers, dividing equally and pressing down firmly to create the base.

Pour in cheese mixture, dividing equally.

Bake for about 22 min or until slightly puffed and just set. They will have a little jiggle in the centre. Do not let your cheesecakes crack (a few small cracks are nothing to worry about though). Remove from oven and let cool for 15 min. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until chilled. They can also be made and stored for up to 2 days in advance.

When ready to serve, slice peaches into 1/4-inch wedges. Peel papers from cheesecakes and place cakes on a serving plate. Arrange the peaches on top of cheesecakes. Serve and enjoy!

Peaches taste so wonderfully sweet and juicy that most of the time we eat them just as they are, before I have a chance to bake with them.

Then winter shows up for what seems like 6 months.

Enter the humble canned peach.

Did you know that most of the canned peaches here in Canada are actually California cling peaches? They’re picked and packed in their own juices, usually within 24 hours to ensure they retain their appearance, texture, flavour, and nutritional content.

Now, it would seem as though I’ve come to infiltrate your week with an excuse to make a batch of tender and flaky scones.

Can I persuade you with these doughy peach scones that are super tender and stuffed full of juicy peaches? I’m warning you though they might just quickly become your new favourite.

These scones are seriously some of the best. They may not be much healthier than your average scone but who ever said you can’t enjoy dessert with a cup of coffee or tea?

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add the 1 cup of milk and stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice; set aside.

3.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Stir in the milk with a fork until a soft, sticky dough forms. If you wish you can finish combining the dough with your hands.

4.Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and, with floured hands, gently flatten it down into a rectanglular shape. Lay your diced peaches on top of the dough then fold the dough over itself to contain the peaches, and press gently together around the edges. Gently, fold the dough in half once more lengthwise, adding more flour as you go to prevent sticking as necessary, until the peaches are dispersed. Flatten the dough out to a 9-inch circle; cut into 8 - 12 wedges.

5.Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Stir together 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for the topping. Brush tops of scones with a little milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy with a pat of butter.

So first, a little update about the blog. As you may have noticed under the recipes section of my site there appears to be no recipes! I just about flipped when I saw this, with thoughts running through my head thinking, "how long has my website been like this?", and "why is this happening, why is there a blank page where all my recipes should reside in one big collection?". Well it turns out the culprit was the implementation of SSL to make my site more secure. Without getting too technical, it basically decided that the bit of code I use to load and log all my recipes from a website called ReciPage was insecure and it is now blocking it from loading.

This has been a huge headache for me, I even received a nasty email from someone telling me that my site was horrible. Ugh. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this has been, but please be kind. This is my own little corner of the internet and sometimes things go wrong when it comes to technology.

I'm working diligently on collecting, categorizing, and rebuilding all my recipes on a new dedicated Recipes section for the blog. It wont be fast, but it will be reliable. And in the meantime you can go to the current recipes section and get the recipes to show by clicking on the green lock in the upper left corner of your browser right beside the url bar. A small window will open that looks like this:

Once you have that showing you then click on the little arrow you can see to the far right of that small window. Next you want to click on the button that says, "Disable Protection For Now". This should allow you to view my recipes while I work on getting the page up and running. Of course you can also use the search bar in the right sidebar at the top of every page.

Thank you so much for all patience. If you ever have any questions or suggestions please contact me. Your support means a lot to me! You guys are what helps me keep this blog going.

Now let's get down to the goods.

This soup. It was so good!!!

Fall and wintry foods have really been speaking to me lately. They're so comforting, easy to prepare, and simple.

This chicken noodle soup is no exception either.

Whether its a case of the sniffles or just another weekday night, there's something magical about chicken soup.

There are so many variations on chicken soup: white chicken chilli, spicy chicken gumbo, chicken minestrone. But a good classic chicken noodle is my favourite. It's perfect for these cold winter months and it comes together quickly. It would be great idea to make it ahead of time and freeze some for busy or lazy weeknights.

So I may have just created my most favourite protein bar (sorry don't tell the other protein bars here). As some of you may already know my love for all things mint chocolate runs deep. Almost as deep as my love for chocolate and peanut butter. Are there any other mint chocolate fans out there? Come on, show me your hands!

The best part about these bars is how they really aren't as indulgent as they sound. I used a handful of ingredients including quick oats, medjool dates, a touch of maple syrup, and chocolate whey protein isolate + some mint and caramel extract. That's the main make up of the bars, plus a bit of water to bring the bars together. No added sugars except the 1 tablespoon of maple syrup...you know how I roll.

One thing you will notice is that they have 20 grams of sugar, but that is due to the medjool dates (a fruit). So I wouldn't get too worried about it. Just think of these as a treat or healthy dessert with some added protein. Not an everyday thing.

These are so soft and chewy and UGH so good. You'll want to keep some stashed in the fridge for "emergencies". The actual bars come together quite quickly, they just need a little time to set up in the fridge and then you can cut them.

Then it's time to dunk them in melted dark chocolate with a dash of mint extract. However if you prefer them aú natural I would totally understand. No judging here ;)

Now go make them!

Mint Chocolate Protein Bars

(makes 6 bars)

Ingredients:

Filling

2 cups (160g) quick oats

9 medjool dates (about 156g with pits removed)

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp pure peppermint extract

1/2 tsp caramel extract

1/4cup (31g) North Coast Naturals chocolate iso whey protein powder

Coating

100g 70% dark chocolate

1/4 tsp peppermint oil*

Directions:

In a food processor, mix together all filling ingredients (from dates to chocolate protein powder), stopping as needed to scrape down the sides.

Transfer the dough into a small rectangular baking dish lined with parchment paper (I used a 7x5 baking dish). Anything of a similar size like a plastic storage container will also work. Press the dough down firmly to shape for cutting into bars. Place the dish in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer to let them firm up.

Cut the block of bars into 6 and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

When ready to coat melt the dark chocolate in a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of water on low heat; make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Once the chocolate is melted stir the peppermint oil in until smooth.

Dunk each bar into the melted chocolate with tongs or two forks, let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl then set back on lined baking tray. To add a special touch, drizzle the top of each bar with a bit of the remaining chocolate.

Place the tray in the fridge until chocolate is fully set.

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Notes:

*Do not try to stir peppermint extract into your melted chocolate or it will clump together. It is the alcohol in the extract that makes this happen. This is why I used peppermint oil instead. You can find peppermint oil at any baking store like the Bulk Barn and even Walmart.

]]>Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Protein BarsSnacksDesserts & SweetsHealthy TreatsJennifer TrennumWed, 24 Aug 2016 09:45:00 +0000https://ediblesoundbites.com/home/2016/8/24/peanut-butter-cookie-dough-protein-bars5734dc9a62cd949b46289a42:5735e75909a58ebb9a931d2b:577c0d4f03596e2e047bdbb8These peanut buttery protein bars only require 6 ingredients for a healthy, tasty snack to have any time of day! Simply mix the first 5 ingredients together with a spatula and then add the water and mix until you get a doughy texture.

They taste so decadent and rich, but are made from simple, healthy ingredients like crunchy peanut butter, coconut flour and honey.

I'm really loving the new chocolate coconut iso protein 100. Combining it with the other ingredients in these bars is so tasty. I'm totally hooked.

If you like having something sweet these are the perfect cure. They're really good after a meal as a healthy dessert too. I don't know about you guys but I often have an urge for something sweet after dinner ;)

With only 2.7 grams of sugar per serving, the only sweetener in these bars is a little bit of honey. Unless you opt to use 70% dark chocolate, then you will add another gram or two, but I chose to use stevia sweetened chocolate chips this time.

Just a little FYI, in case you guys wondered I mostly use North Coast Naturals ISO Whey Protein 100 in my protein powder recipes. I like the texture and taste it gives them and it has no added sugars, artificial flavours or colours. Plus it only has 1-3 grams of carbs per scoop/ serving. It's some of the best out there! If you can't get your hands on some though you can make these bars using another good quality vanilla whey protein powder.

Well hello there! Greetings from the fresh new blog! You'll notice things are looking nice and fresh and a little different around here. This new site has been a long time coming. The new site design and everything including the logo design was done by myself. Oy, it was a lot of work but so worth it! I hope you're loving it as much as I am. I especially love that the site is now mobile friendly.

Stay tuned for more updates coming!

But for now. Muffins.

These super addictive gluten-free muffins are nothing like ordinary muffins. They may look like a regular muffin made with sugar and nutrition-less white flour, but they're not.

If you like banana bread, you're going to love these.

These are pretty special in that always fluffy, always moist, and always make the house smell good way. These are one of those recipes that I make time and time again. They are everything I want in a banana muffin.

In addition to having no added sugar, they are made healthier with oat flour (I only use gluten-free oat flour in these and no other flour), unsweetened applesauce, and plain non-fat greek yogurt. To sweeten I use powdered stevia.

These muffins are perfect for either a quick and easy breakfast or mid afternoon/ nighttime snack with a cup of tea.

For 1 muffin you get 131 calories, 18g carbs (out of which 3.8g is fibre), 3.7g protein, and 5.2g fat.

Everyone in my house is going GAGA for these banana muffins. They're so soft and delicious!!! It's hard to believe they're good for you. But enough yada yada from me. Here's the recipe...

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, stevia, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed banana, eggs, vanilla, yogurt, butter, and applesauce. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir everything together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Avoid over-mixing, which will produce tough, dense muffins.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling all the way to the top.

Bake until the muffins are lightly golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean; about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Store muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hastag it #ediblesoundbites. I'd love to see what you make!

]]>Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein CookiesHealthy TreatsSnacksJennifer TrennumTue, 29 Mar 2016 09:45:06 +0000https://ediblesoundbites.com/home/2016/3/29/dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-protein-cookies.html5734dc9a62cd949b46289a42:5735e75909a58ebb9a931d2b:5735e75909a58ebb9a931fb6Happy Tuesday people! How about some cookies to get you through the rest of this week?

I'm a bit short on words + brain power tonight. So I figure we should just get right down to business and into things.

I was super pumped about the way these turned out. I’ve been working on a few different trials for protein cookies lately, and the first handful of tries were just not quite cutting it.

But THESE, these were an absolute YES. I made them in 20 minutes flat.

The light was acting quite nice for this photo shoot, so I continued to snap away and have fun with it. Sometimes it can be a real tough thing to work with. The great thing about using these cookies as a photo subject, was that they have a lot of texture, which makes for an interesting photo.

I think the key ingredient to these cookies is definitely the brown rice protein. It makes all the difference when it comes to texture. They don’t spread very much at all while baking, so if you want a flatter cookie you can give them a little pat down before baking.

In one of my un-blog worthy trials, I used whey protein powder. While they were good they came out far too dry for my liking.

These cookies are super soft, moist, and full of peanut buttery chocolate flavour.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet before transferring to a sealed container. The cookies will be slightly crumbly when they first come out of the oven so be sure to let them rest and cool before storing.

I've been working hard behind the scenes on a super sweet Valentine's Day baking project and I am beyond excited to finally share it with you!

A few months back I was asked if I would develop and photograph a few recipes for the California Cling Peach Board using canned California cling peaches. Of course I was up for the task! My first post was this Kale and Peach Salad that turned out to be a big hit. For my second post I knew I wanted to bust out something special to line your dessert table with. Then it came to me. Crème brûlée! With caramelized peaches on the bottom!

This Crème Brûlée with Caramelized Peaches is pretty much all of my favourite dessert flavours + textures packed into a single serve treat.

The first thing you should know about crème brûlée is that it's not hard to make. It's true. As intimidating as all those accented letters may seem and although it has a fancy restaurant reputation, it really is pretty simple when you break it down. It's also a lot of fun! The only one catch is that you'll want to get yourself a small kitchen blowtorch for making that crisp crackly layer of caramel brittle that makes creme brulee so memorable. Don't worry they are reasonably priced. It's very difficult to brown the sugar underneath the oven broiler - though some are able to pull it off, I've never been able to do it without messing up the custard.

One of the greatest things about this impressive dessert is that you can make the custards - minus the burnt-sugar topping - a couple of days in advance. Of course, you can eat them on the day you make them too; just be sure to chill the custards for at least 3 hours before topping them with sugar.

Oh, it is difficult to wait.

This is the first time I've tried a peach style crème brûlée. I have to admit a well-made vanilla bean crème brûlée is pretty hard to beat, but the subtlety of the caramelized peaches on the bottom was just enough without being overwhelming.

For the caramelized peaches I used canned California cling peaches. I've always thought canned peaches were a cheery reminder of warm summer days in the mid-winter months. They're hard to pass up, especially this time of year when fresh and local just isn't an option. So I like to always have a few cans in the cupboard, on hand for whenever. Surprisingly, the canning process of the peaches has been proven to increase key nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C and folate. Plus there are no added preservatives or colours, and they’re delicious!

In a heavy medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the peaches, sprinkle with the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are tender and the juices are slightly reduced, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

For the crème brûlée:

Preheat your oven to 300˚ F and position a rack in the centre of the oven. Place 4, 8-ounce (240 ml) ramekins in a roasting pan where the sides of the pan are higher than the ramekins. Spoon the caramelized peaches into the ramekins (about 1/4 cup into each).

Heat the cream on medium-high heat with the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean along with the pod for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully so that it doesn't boil over. The cream will begin to bubble around the edges when it is ready. Remove from heat and remove the vanilla bean pod.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar until pale and thick (about 1-2 minutes). Slowly pour the scalding cream a little bit at a time into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs don't scramble. Strain with a fine mesh sieve set over a large measuring cup or bowl (I like to strain it into a glass Pyrex measuring cup with a spout). Evenly pour the custard into the prepared ramekins.

Pour boiling water carefully around the ramekins, so that the water comes halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake the custards for about 35-45 minutes, until they are set around the edges, but still have a little jiggle to them when gently moved. Carefully remove the custards from the water bath and set them on a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until cold and firmed up. At this point they can be stored in the fridge for up to two days until you are ready to serve them.

To serve, sprinkle each custard with a thin, even layer of superfine sugar (about 1 tablespoon). Using a hand held kitchen blowtorch, caramelize the sugar by moving the torch back and forth over the custard, about 1-2 inches away from it at an angle, until the sugar is golden brown and hardened. Serve immediately.

Today's post is sponsored by the California Cling Peach Board. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn't love it, you wouldn't be hearing about it. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness I share here.

As someone who likes to go to bed earlier than most (let's say the elderly), I'd like to give myself a pat on the back for making it to midnight (plus a few hours past) without falling asleep standing up. How about a round of applause, or maybe a small golf clap?

I would like to thank caffeine and sugar for this "achievement".

So to start the year off on the right foot I've got a tasty kale and peach salad for you today.

That's a lot of salads. But, when it comes to lunch, light dinners, and side dishes you really can't beat them.

Now considering how gaga I am for peaches, looking back I cannot believe I don't have any salads that feature them! So I'm about to remedy that with these canned California cling peaches. The peaches are smooth, juicy and bursting with delicious ripe peach flavour.

My goal was to make a refreshing salad that is satisfying and fresh, full of nutrition, and perfect for the winter months when your body is craving some sunshine ripened fruit. Hello Vitamin A and C! This is an every-day-of-the-week type of salad.

Fresh fruit often makes the most sense in terms of taste, texture and nutritional value. But if it's off-season and you're craving peaches, there's nothing to lose by eating them canned. What many people don't know is that canned fruit often retains more nutrients than fresh because it's picked fully ripe and then packaged right away. Fresh fruit, on the other hand, has to travel long-distances in the winter month from farm to your kitchen table.

Most canned peaches in Canada are actually California cling peaches. They are picked and packed in their own juices, usually within 24 hours to ensure they retain their appearance, texture, flavour and nutritional content.

This recipe is simple. It starts by giving the kale a nice little massage with a drizzle of olive oil and some lemon juice. Simply squeeze the kale with your fingertips and release it, and repeat this for about 2 minutes. Massaging the leaves before assembling the salad makes them soft and tender, and reduces the bitter taste that kale is so popular for.

After the kale is ready to go, it gets tossed with a tasty dressing made from honey, olive oil, lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper.

Then it all gets finished off with those juicy canned peaches and some toasted pepitas to add some crunch and round out all the flavours. Pepitas also add good fibre and healthy fats. Perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. You could also add some leftover chicken and goat cheese. I highly recommend the goats cheese!

In a large bowl, add the kale, half the lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons), a drizzle of oil, and a pinch of sea salt. Massage the kale, squeezing with your hands, until it starts to wilt and soften a bit, about 2 minutes. Set aside, and make the dressing.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Pouring in a slow stream, add the ¼ cup of olive oil while whisking until dressing forms.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the peaches and cucumber. Toss gently and top with toasted pepitas. Serve and enjoy!

Today’s post is sponsored by the California Cling Peach Board. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn’t love it, you wouldn’t be hearing about it. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness I share here.

This is a fairly simple recipe. You'll be able to tell by the consistency of the dough whether or not you need to add more wet or dry ingredients. When adding the almond milk make sure you start with 2 or 3 tablespoons and then mix, you may not need the fourth tablespoon. The dough will be soft and pliable. If you don't have PB2, you could substitute peanut flour, but I highly reccommend trying PB2, as it's nice and low in fat and gives the truffles a great taste and texture.

These truffles won't make you feel sluggish or give you a sugar crash. No one enjoys feeling like a big bloated mess. Thanks to some wholesome ingredients, these will help you feel light and energized.

I used a base of North Coast Naturals chocolate vege pro 7 protein powder and powdered peanut butter (PB2). Powdered peanut butter is low in calories and fat. It's natural peanut butter without the added hydrogenated oil. And these only have 4 grams of sugar per truffle. No sugar crash here!

For the Truffles

For the Truffles

In a medium sized bowl, mix truffle ingredients together until they form a dough. You can do this either in a food processor or by hand.

Divide dough evenly into 8 pieces and roll into balls; about 1 teaspoon per ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. One at a time, push your thumb into the middle of each ball, or use a knife, to pry a hole for the filling. Fill the centre of each with peanut butter, pinch closed and roll back into a ball.

Melt the chocolate. You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. I like to use a liquid measuring cup. Melt in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Let the warm chocolate sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly before dipping.

Dip each truffle in the chocolate and place back onto the baking sheet. Top truffles with a peanut, a sprinkle of course sea salt, or a pinch of cocoa powder, if desired.

Allow chocolate to completely set in the refrigerator before serving; about 30 minutes.

I absolutely love brownies. I've posted a few other brownie recipes here before, one being a traditional fudgy brownie made with red fife flour, and the second was a no bake brownie made mainly from cocoa powder, dates, and walnuts.

I have many more brownie recipes to come as well, both healthier versions and just for fun, straight up treat-time.

What can I say? I'm a massive fan.

These brownies are gluten-free, sweetener-free, and are PACKED full of nutrition. They've got:

Fibre (that's 6.8 grams per square)

Protein (also 6 grams. Not bad for a healthy brownie!)

Vitamins

Minerals

& Antioxidants

They also have an irresistible super-soft texture. Make them and you'll know exactly what I mean.

This really is a no-fuss recipe, it's so simple. Just a hanful of ingredients and your food processor. There's no baking involed. Toss all the ingredients into your food processor (or high speed blender) and blend for about 1 minute or until a nice soft dough. Press into a pan or shape the into brownie squares and refrigerate...or eat them straight away! Done + done.

Just be sure to use a good protein powder that you really enjoy the taste of. I can't stress this enough. If you don't like the taste of the powder you likely won't enjoy the taste of what you are baking.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment and don't forget to tag a picture #ediblesoundbites on Instagram so I can see your creations. I love seeing what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend into a soft dough.

Press the dough into the corner of a square baking pan. We're using the baking pan to form the dough into 1 large square (about 1 inch in thickness) that can be cut into 4 individual brownies. The dough will not fill the whole pan. Alternatively, you can divide your dough into 4 balls and then press into squares.

Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes before slicing if using the baking pan method.

Keep stored in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped individually in foil.

Notes

To make vegan just sub out the whey protein powder for your favourite vegan vanilla protein.

Nutritional Info

per square (out of the 4 small ones): 190cals, 44g carbs (out of which 6.8g is fiber!), 6g protein and 1.9g fat.

Today's post is sponsored by Natural Delights. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn't love it, you wouldn't be hearing about it. Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness you see here.

I always like to have healthy snacks in the house made from whole foods, ready to go for when hunger hits. Plus they're great to have on hand while travelling. So when I was contacted by Natural Delights to try out their Medjool date rolls and review them, I gladly accepted. I had already tried their fresh Medjool dates before...they taste like candy! I actually discovered them as a natural sweetener when I first began baking and cooking healthier. Not to mention snacking healthier! I've long been a fan of dates, but I have to admit, for years I didn't know there were different kinds of dates out there. Then one day, I stumbled across the fresh plump Medjools in the produce isle at the grocery store. Ever since I tried them I haven't looked back. They're sweeter than dried dates, oh so soft, and crazy good! Not to mention crazy good for you.

Getting back to these date rolls though. Natural Delights sent me 3 different flavours to try including coconut, almond, and their limited edition pecan pumpkin pie spiced (only seasonally-available). They're made from chopped, compressed dates and then rolled and coated in simple, pure ingredients like coconut flakes or chopped almonds. I tried the coconut date rolls and pecan pumpkin pie spice ones first. They were melt-in-your mouth good and had the same soft texture and sweet caramel flavour of the Medjool dates! The almond ones were just as good, but my favourite were the coconut. I ate a few of them as an afternoon snack to keep me going until dinnertime. They kept me satisfied without the crash that comes from eating regular sugary snacks. That's what I call a win-win situation!

I knew that Medjool dates were very good for you, but I didn’t realize just how many health benefits they had until I read up on them. If you didn’t already know about this power fruit... Medjool Dates each contain 16 vitamins and minerals (including 50% more potassium than bananas!), which is excellent for muscle recovery in addition to protein. Plus they are a very good source of dietary fibre.

Additionally to being a good source of fibre and potassium, they contain no added sugar, no fat or cholesterol, are high in antioxidants and offer other important vitamins and minerals including Copper, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Calcium, Iron and Vitamin K. They’re also gluten-free and vegan making them a great choice for nearly everyone.

I really enjoy these date rolls as a part of a post-workout snack, but they are also perfect for snack time anytime or even dessert!

If you’d like to find out more check out the Natural Delights website and look for them in the produce section of your grocery store. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Disclaimer: This is a compensated sponsored post from Natural Delights Medjool Dates. All opinions are 100% my own as always. Thank you for supporting brands like this that help make this site possible!

]]>Cheesy Snack CrackersSnacksJennifer TrennumWed, 07 Oct 2015 09:45:44 +0000https://ediblesoundbites.com/home/2015/10/7/cheesy-snack-crackers.html5734dc9a62cd949b46289a42:5735e75909a58ebb9a931d2b:5735e75909a58ebb9a931fadOh hey there - it's Fall!! Officially on the calendar and physically, temperature wise. It's still mid August in my mind though. I love fall, but we all know what comes after it... and I'm not ready.

Anywho, after receiving a request from a blog reader last week for some healthy savory snacks, I decided to share this cheesy cracker recipe that I've had in the back of mind for some time. I have to wonder why I don't have more savory snacks + things in my recipe archive, because I really do love them. It's something that I will be adding to that's for sure.

The awesome thing about this recipe is that it doesn't take a ton of ingredients (honestly it's under 10) and it's also quick and considerably easy to make!

If you love the flavour of parmesan cheese then go ahead and add it to the recipe like I have. If you don't, or you'd like to make these vegan then it's ok to leave it out entirely. It won't harm the crackers if you do decide to omit it.

Instead of going for butter I used olive oil to make these crackers healthier and the nutritional yeast is what gives them the slight tinge of orange colour + cheesy taste.

A tasty snack all on their own or maybe with a nice helping of hummus on the side. Either way I hope you enjoy these little crackers!

In a large bowl, mix together flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir in parmesan. Stir in the olive oil and 1/4 cup of water and mix until dough is combined. If the dough is too dry add 2 more tablespoons of water.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface, dust the top with flour, and roll to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness with a lightly floured rolling pin. Use a knife, pizza cutter or small cut cookie cutter shape to cut the dough into crackers. Gently move each cracker and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until dough is used up, rolling it out again between batches.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on thickness, until crackers are light golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on them for timing so they don't burn.

Place on a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

These crackers freeze well.

You can either wrap the dough in plastic and place it in the fridge until ready to use, or roll it out immediately.

I'm a lover of all things pancake. These have become my go-to option for my favourite breakfast treat. Weekend or weekday. I like to whip up a batch and pack them for breakfasts during the week, because they reheat very well in the microwave. Who doesn't love warm pancakes on a weekday morning? If that's not motivation to get out bed when the alarm goes off, then what is?

I know it's been some time since my last post, but it's been for good reason. I've been working hard behind the scenes on a big blog update and moving everthing over to the new squarespace 7. It hasn't gone as smoothly as I'd hoped either. I've ran into some strange technical issues, but I have the very helpful people at squarespace working on it with me. Otherwise, between designing a new logo for the site, making sure my posts are all in order (tag + category wise), redesigning the site, updating my about page etc., it's been keeping me rather busy, but today I'm giving you pancakes.

For most of my meals, I tend to have a selection of different things to choose from that I put into steady rotation throughout the week. Although I do like a bit of unpredictability. Sometimes it's fun to have some meals and dinners that are off the cuff with whatever I have in house. Or if something pops into my mind that sounds really good instead of something that's I had planned. My lunches, breakfast, and snacks however are always planned. 90% of the time breakfast is oatmeal, eggs with some grapefruit, or greek yogurt + berries (or whatever is in season, like peaches). My meals are very predictable. The other 10% of the time is reserved for things like these protein pancakes.

These pancakes are flourless. Instead they're made from a base of ground almond flour and an all natural sugar-free protein powder, Vege Pro 7 by North Coast Naturals. Although any protein powder you have should work, just be sure you enjoy the taste of it. Now these don't have a traditional pancake texture, instead they're more dense and satisfying, and very delicious. I also decided to use lucuma powder to sweeten them, and keep the recipe sugar-free. I'm really loving the lucuma powder, it's made from a Peruvian fruit and it's low glycemic.

Preheat electric griddle to medium heat, or a large skillet on the stove stop.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (almond meal through sea salt).

In a separate bowl whisk together eggs (or thickened flaxseed if using vegan option), almond milk, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined and batter is smooth. Be careful not to over-blend. If you are using the flax egg method let the batter rest for about 5 minutes before cooking.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle for each pancake. You should end up with 9 pancakes. Flip when bubbles appear in the middle and around the edges. Cook for 1-2 minutes more on the other side. Remove from griddle and place on a plate to keep warm in the oven until all pancakes are cooked.

Welcome to my new favourite healthy weeknight meal. Yes, macaroni and cheese really can be made healthy and still taste just as good as it's boxed counterpart. All you need to do is make this simple creamy vegan cheese sauce that's dairy-free, soy-free, and packed with loads of nutritional bonuses. Like nutritional yeast. It's full of vitamins B6 + B12, Thiamin, and Riboflavin. Plus it packs an excellent boost of protein and fiber. Just 2 tablespoons has 8g of protein and 4 grams of fiber.

Finger. Licking. Good.

Now this doesn't taste like real cheese but it's pretty darn tasty if I do say so. The sauce is made up of a handful of ingredients that starts out with sautéed onions and garlic for the ultimate flavour boost. I found that adding sautéed onions and garlic deepened the flavour of the "cheese" sauce in a wonderful way. It was so tasty!

Next up we toss the onions and garlic into a high-speed blender and add nutritional yeast, soaked cashews, tomato paste, smoked paprika, turmeric and a small handful of other ingredients. I don't think it's necessary but if you prefer you can use unsweetened almond milk in place of water in the sauce.

Oh cashew-vegan cheeze sauce how I love you. This sauce cannot only be added to macaroni but many other things as well. Try adding it to:

Mashed potatoes (russets, yukon, red, etc.)

Quinoa and rice dishes

Casseroles

Sandwiches

Veggies of all kinds including steamed or roasted (broccoli, cauliflower and green beans are excellent!)

Now I'm not going to tell you this is a recipe for old-fashioned mac n'cheese, because it's definitely not that. What I can tell you is that it's absolutely delicious and just as comforting. Besides you could totally serve this to a non-vegan and they'd love it! It's so satisfying you may even convert them over.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes on low.

In a high speed blender, puree the sautéed onions and garlic with the cashews, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, paprika, water, nutritional yeast, turmeric, a pinch of cayenne, and a pinch of salt. Makes about 2 1/4 cups of sauce.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Stir in the sauce, adding the pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and make it creamy. If you're adding any roasted or sauteed veggies, this would be the time to do it.

If you head on over to Deryn's blog you'll find the recipe for these No-Bake Trail Mix Granola Bars.

I just love having easy go-to snacks like these on hand. And I know how much you guys love them too becuase like these Cashew Cookie Dough Bars, that's one of my most popular posts ever, they always end up being a big hit.

These tasty bars are full of flavour and satisfying crunch thanks to toasted quinoa, walnuts, almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds. They're packed with nutrition and just all-around delicious! They're vegan, gluten-free, and require no baking whatsoever. Enjoy!

]]>Make-Ahead Steel Cut OatmealBreakfastJennifer TrennumWed, 08 Jul 2015 09:45:59 +0000https://ediblesoundbites.com/home/2015/7/8/make-ahead-steel-cut-oatmeal.html5734dc9a62cd949b46289a42:5735e75909a58ebb9a931d2b:5735e75909a58ebb9a931fa3If you've ever been in a rut with your morning bowl of porridge and rolled oats, then you have to try this! Oh my gosh, how have I not done this before?

Steel cut oats are one of my favourite ways to enjoy oatmeal but I don't make them very often because they take so long to make. In fact they're usually a weekend thing if I get to make them at all. The problem is I'm usually too hungry to wait 30 minutes for breakfast.

That's where this make-ahead steel cut oatmeal comes in. It's been adding some welcomed variety to my steady breakfast routine of oats for the last 2-3 weeks. When Sunday rolls around I like to make a big batch of steel cut oats and divide it into individual servings so I we can enjoy it all week long for quick and easy breakfasts. In the morning I just add a splash of almond milk and reheat it in the microwave. Steel cut oats reheat very well. This saves so much time in the morning! It's also the perfect portable breakfast.

In a medium-sized pot, bring the water and almond milk to a boil. Add in the steel-cut oats, cinnamon, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt; stir and reduce heat to low.

Simmer on low uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 mins or so, and scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Cook until the oats are very tender and the oatmeal is as creamy as you like it — longer cooking will make thicker oatmeal.

Once the oats are creamy and tender, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing in air tight containers in the fridge. In the morning, add a splash of almond milk and reheat in the microwave.

This will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a great weekend. I hope it's an extra delicious one!

Well, they're soft, thick, and they taste like maple-pecan bliss coated in a thin layer of extra dark chocolate. The texture and flavour is so good. And you know what else? To top it all off their really easy to make.

I added 1/2 a cup of North Coast Naturals vanilla iso whey protein powder to rev up the protein in these bars. This protein powder is truly one of the best I've tried in terms of taste and blend-ability. So creamy + smooth! You can substitute your favourite vanilla protein to veganize these bars of course. Just make sure that whichever protein powder you use, it tastes good, because you will taste it.

I actually made a double batch of these, pressed them into my trusty 7 x 5 baking dish, and cut the bars in half. That's why they look bigger in the above photo without the chocolate coating. The nutrition is the same as the single batch that makes 6 bars, but making the double batch this way gave the bars a nice height.

The combination of pecans and coconut sugar is out of this world. Plus it also provides your body with some good functional fuel.

These are perfect as a pre or post workout snack. They do best when stored in the fridge. They hold up pretty well for short periods of time when they've been out of the fridge, but they do tend to soften up a bit and get sticky.

Once you start making your own homemade energy/ protein bars you'll quickly realize how much better they taste than the store bought ones. Especially when you know 100% exactly how much of what ingredient went into them.

Shape the dough into 6 bars using your hands or firmly press into a 7 x 5 inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Place the bars in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up. If using the baking dish method, slice into 6 bars. Place the individual bars on a baking tray lined with a sheet of tin foil or parchment.

Melt the dark chocolate in a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of water on low heat. Dunk the bars into the melted chocolate or spoon the chocolate over them to coat. Return the bars to the lined baking tray. Garnish with a pecan on top of each bar and place in the freezer to set.

Store in the freezer for a week or longer in an air-tight freezer bag or container.

It feels like a lifetime ago that I last made a post, but I'm back today. And this time I brought fudge. Without all the excess refined sugar, corn syrup, and butter of course.

This was my first time making healthy fudge, and now that I have a base recipe figured out it's definitely something I'm going to be experimenting more with. This one was a hit!

This protein fudge is the perfect satisfying treat or snack with it's creamy, soft + sweet characteristics. It literally melts in your mouth.

It starts with a base of honey, natural peanut butter, and a hit of pure vanilla extract...Just a few of my favourite things. The smell of this combination will have you salivating in anticipation. As hard as it may be, try not to stick your whole face in the bowl. Trust me it wont fit ;)

Just make sure you use smooth peanut butter and not crunchy. You want the end result to be nice and thick and smooth.

Next we add in the protein powders. I used a combination of North Coast Naturals iso whey protein and brown rice protein, but feel free to use your favourite brand. The reason I used a combination of whey and brown rice protein powders is for texture. You can also substitute pea protein for the brown rice if you prefer.

You wouldn't want to use pea or brown rice protein as a base in your shake because of it's different smell and taste, but they both do excellent when blended with other ingredients; like in this fudge recipe. Just think of them as a protein powder to replace regular flour. They add a wonderful bready + doughy texture to sweet and savory recipes.

Easy as pie! Or fudge in this case.

The only thing that wasn't easy was taking these photos. You see you need to keep these in the fridge or freezer for good reason. It was a rather hot and humid day when I shot the photos and the fudge really is soft and doughy. Take a look at the photo below and you can see how the corners started to melt on me, not literally *melt*, but they did start to go south once I'd had them out of the fridge for a while.